Favorable Developments

With all those swanky condos on Miami Beach, it's hard to believe the million-dollar sandbar can offer an affordable place to reside. But two years ago Fernwood Apartments, a housing project for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, opened. That building is just a small piece of progress in the eternal puzzle for those running big cities: how to provide affordable housing for folks whose income is so low they can barely handle buying groceries every week, let alone paying rent. Also pressing is how to encourage prudent development and keep those areas livable by maintaining parks and public spaces. The Urban Environment League will be covering those issues in its seminar, The Art of Affordable Housing, beginning at 8:30 a.m. today at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (1545 N. Bayshore Dr.). Expect a talk and a coach tour of neighborhoods on the beach and in the city that represent good planning, and then a lunch alfresco at Stillwater Park. Admission is $15. Call 305-576-2553 to reserve. -- By Nina Korman

Getting Bluesy

FRI 10/31

If you think you lived the blues by watching Martin Scorsese's hyped PBS documentary, The Blues, you might want to get off the couch and check out the 17th Annual Sound Advice Blues Festival. There is no substitute for the real thing, and you'll get a taste of more than 30 blues acts from around the country performing over 3 days. Among those scheduled to appear is Grammy-nominated piano man Pinetop Perkins (above), who at 90 years of age promises to bring the real flavor of his native Mississippi Delta. Others include Elvin Bishop, Coco Montoya, Slick Ballinger, and Albert Castiglia. The festival kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday, November 2, at the Fort Lauderdale Festival Grounds, 1201 NW 55th St. Admission is $7 for tonight's event and $15 Saturday and Sunday. A 3-day pass costs $28. Call 954-828-3255. -- By Juan Carlos Rodriguez

Samba-Ween

Brazilians get spooky

FRI 10/31

Feathers, drumming, and booty-shaking samba queens. Miami's Brazilians are promising to blow the lid off our quaint little tradition of trick or treating. Ghosts and goblins will surely be transformed to bare-chested wild peacocks at Carnalween, a costume party that crosses Rio's Carnaval with Halloween. International DJs keep the party jumping as do capoeira performances and more than $3000 worth of prizes, including a round-trip ticket to Brazil. The festivities begin at 10:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Hotel, 400 SE 2nd Ave. Tickets cost $30 and $50. Call 305-573-6175. -- By Juan Carlos Rodriguez

Vampire Chronicles

He's an old, bald, bloodsucking mutha

FRI 10/31

Freddy and Jason in a death match? Pshaw! For maximum terror (or max schreck in German slang), there's no better strip of celluloid than F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, the 1922 classic vampire tale based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. You know the story: Unsuspecting businessman visits eerie gothic castle of reclusive vampire man, setting gears in motion that unleash a reign of terror by the ancient bloodsucker. And of course there's villagers, there's always villagers. You won't see a scarier face than actor Max Schreck's vampire, way more frightening than a silly hockey mask. Thanks to the Wolfsonian-FIU (1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach), you can creep yourself out with Nosferatu, and then do your best imitation on the South Beach streets just outside. The museum will even treat the audience to candy and a prize for best costume. The screening starts at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $5. Call 305-531-1001. -- By John Anderson

Extrasensory Overload

SAT 11/1

There is something mysterious about the latitude and longitude and the exact stellar location of Coral Castle (28655 S. Dixie Hwy.) that leads people to wonder about magnetic fields and supernatural phenomena. After all, Edward Leedskalnin, the little man who built the fabled stone fantasyland for his teenage lover, purportedly moved slabs of coral rock weighing thousands of pounds without machines or manpower. The feat is glorified as a testament to the power of love and to weird freaky stuff man cannot define, such as the Pyramids, Area 51, and Cher. The castle's mysterious magical vortex attracts hundreds of supernatural addicts to the Coral Castle Psychic Fair. There at least eight mystics will be taking advantage of the park's mojo for in-depth readings. The Psychic Fair begins at 10:00 a.m. Admission is $9.75 for adults and $5 for children. Call 305-248-6345. -- By Juan Carlos Rodriguez

Revelry

Dead Zone

SAT 11/1

Miami might be full of Cubans but that doesn't mean Mexican holidays should get short shrift. November 1 in Mexico is the Day of the Dead, a joyful time to remember relatives who have passed on. Families visit their loved ones' graves, indulge in lavish feasts, and exchange death-motif presents like skulls made of sugar. At 8:00 p.m. a local Day of the Dead commemoration will take place at Damien B. Contemporary Art Center (282 NW 36th St.) featuring music by many bands and the artwork of Graham Drout, leader of famed Miami blues rockers Iko Iko. Admission is by donation. Call 305-573-4949. -- By Nina Korman

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